Fat biking Nye Beach is grandmother approved

When I told my 65-year-old mother — who recently became a grandmother — that our trip to the Oregon Coast would include one day of "fat biking" the beach, she had a simple question:

"What the heck is fat biking?"

Elliott Crowder, owner of Bike Newport, rides his fat bike on the Nye Beach area of the Oregon ...more

Elliott Crowder, owner of Bike Newport, rides his fat bike on the Nye Beach area of the Oregon Coast beach in Newport.

Zach Urness / Statesman Journal

Well, Mom, it's basically a mountain bike outfitted with gigantic tires that let you ride just about anywhere, including sand beaches, like a self-powered monster truck.

"Why would I want to ride a monster truck?"

Sigh.

Last month, my parents arrived in Oregon for a weeklong vacation on the coast, and in between time spent with their new granddaughter, I decided to plan some outdoor adventures.

The adventure I was most excited about was taking them fat biking — one of the fastest-growing outdoor trends in Oregon — but there also was a touch of concern.

As I've written in the past, I believe fat bikes bring a new level of fun to exploring the Oregon Coast because they allow you travel much farther across the beach than would be possible on foot. Unlike ATVs or OHVs, you can ride them pretty much anywhere, with the exception of snowy plover habitat on the South Coast.

The problem was that I had yet to test this hypothesis on someone who wasn't already bike crazy. The two trips I'd done — on Central Oregon snow and Lincoln City sand — were both with friends who were a near lock to enjoy fat biking.

In a sense, my parents, 65- and 69-year-old tourists from Minnesota, would be a good test case for the fat-bike phenomenon. They'd help determine whether it's a flash-in-the-pan fad or a viable attraction capable of bringing real money to the Oregon Coast.

One of the few businesses to rent fat bikes on the coast, the Crowders have seen an increase in rentals this year and are hoping it will continue to grow.

Bike Newport increased the size of its fleet from four to eight. It's planning to open a kiosk at Nye Beach so people can rent and ride directly onto the beach, and it will offer riding tours from South Beach to Ona Beach as well.

"We had a fleet last summer, but it just wasn't as popular," Daniella Crowder said. "This year, the fat-bike craze has gone insane, and we've really expanded what we're doing."

"Riding on the beach is gorgeous, and it's something that's accessible for most people. We're seeing a lot of rentals from people over 50 years old. It's not as strenuous as road biking, there's no traffic to worry about and you can go a lot father than your feet would take you. We're really enjoying getting people out there."

ONTO THE SAND

It was a bright and sunny morning when we arrived at Bike Newport for a few hours of fat biking on the beach.

The cost of a good fat bike hoovers around $1,000 — though the best ones retail near $5,000 — so renting is the option of choice at the moment.

Bike Newport charges $20 per hour or $50 for the day. One upside is the shop is just a half-mile from the entrance to Nye Beach.

After a quick tutorial on the gears (it had been a few years since my parents mountain biked), we headed downhill on the Newport streets, through the Nye Beach arch and out onto the sand.

Almost immediately, my dad headed for the surf, as though testing to see whether his bike was seaworthy.

"Whoa, whoa, hold on," said Elliott Crowder, who joined us on the ride.

Turns out, one of the biggest threats to fat bikes on the beach is the corrosive power of saltwater.

After the false start, we headed north up the coast, toward the jetting cliff of Yaquina Head and the distant white tower of its lighthouse.

Now, I will point out that it's quite possible to ride a regular mountain bike on wet, packed-down sand on Oregon Coast beaches. The difference with fat bikes is that you can ride on all of the sand, including loose and soft sand, without getting stuck or slowed down too much.

The improvement was most noticeable on the rolling dunes, where Crowder showed us how to ride up and swoop back down the sandy hills. Both my dad and Crowder took a spill riding around in this playground of sand, but considering its softness, this looked a lot more fun than painful. Both got up laughing.

Elliott Crowder and Gay Urness ride some dunes with their fat bikes on the Oregon Coast’s Nye Beach ...more

Elliott Crowder and Gay Urness ride some dunes with their fat bikes on the Oregon Coast’s Nye Beach area in Newport.

Zach Urness / Statesman Journal

The miles disappeared quickly, and we breezed past the people on the sand (a few of whom pointed and stared) and headed into the Agate Beach area. This is a beautiful spot on a sunny day, with a breaking surf and cliffs of the headland above.

Even at our meandering pace, we splashed across a creek and arrived at the base of the headland in less than an hour. The trip back was even quicker, as we covered almost seven miles in less than two hours. (You can ride farther south to the jetty, if so inclined).

So, what's the verdict, Mom?

"It was a blast!" she said. "It really gives you the beach in a whole new way — a much different experience than a normal walk. It was a lot of fun."

Looks as if fat biking the Oregon Coast has a future after all.

Zach Urness has been an outdoors writer, photographer and videographer in Oregon for seven years. He is the author of the book "Hiking Southern Oregon" and can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on Facebook at Zach's Oregon Outdoors or @ZachsORoutdoors on Twitter.

Bike Newport is a shop in Newport that rents fat bikes to folks who want to ride the Oregon Coast ...more

Bike Newport is a shop in Newport that rents fat bikes to folks who want to ride the Oregon Coast beaches.

Zach Urness / Statesman Journal

Rent fat bikes on Oregon Coast sand

The only two places the Statesman Journal was able to locate that rents fat bikes on the Oregon Coast is Bike Newport and South Coast Bicycles in Bandon.

Due to growing popularity, especially on weekends, calling in advance to reserve is recommended.

Bike Newport

Cost: $20 per hour or $50 per day

Phone: (541) 265-9917

Address: 150 NW Sixth St., Newport

Tours: The guided-tour option will take you from the jetty in South Beach at the mouth of the Yaquina River, past fishing boats, along the dunes, popular surf spots, past tide pools to the beautiful Ona Beach. The two-hour tour has a four-person minimum and is $50 per person, which includes a fat bike, helmet, tour guide and shuttle ride back to your vehicle.

South Coast Bicycles (Bandon)

Cost: $50 per day, but hourly, multiple day and weekly or monthly rates are available by calling